Thorbear Ironhoof
Thorbear Ironhoof is a young, hot-blooded Tauren warrior with a ferocious temper and a hatred of the Alliance. Appearance Tall even amongst Tauren, Thorbear is of only average weight due to a lean, athletic build uncommon amongst his people. His fur is mottled red and white, and his curved horns are polished to a particular shine. He takes pride in his appearance, from the careful maintenance of his armour to his braided hair and the half-ring through his nose. Personality To his comrades and allies in the Horde, Thorbear is warm, jovial and loyal. He enjoys the company of other warrios, and is seemingly happier roughing it on the front lines than in the safety of a Horde capitol or camp. He does however display a fierce temper, and is known to strike out at others with minimal provocation. When in Alliance territory, or near their camps and adventurers he becomes intense and focused. He strikes at members of the Alliance without provocation, and rarely with any forethought or strategy, frequently putting himself in danger that his comrades have to rescue him from. History Mulgore Thorbear grew up as member of a minor clan, living on the fringes of the Tauren's loose, nomadic society. His family moved a lot, even by the standards of the Tauren tribes. As such, he grew to love the wide, open plains and took the opportunity to run across them for hours at a time. He took to strength training on these runs, developing the stamina and agility that would serve him later in life as a warrior. Times changed as he approached maturity. The tribes came together, becoming more centralised and stationary under the leadership of Cairne Bloodhoof. They established their own city, and permanent villages within Mulgore and beyond. And greatest of all, they had allied themselves with strange creatures, Orcs, who told exciting tales of war across the ocean. Craving adventure, Thorbear trained to become a warrior in the newly founded Horde. The New World It was during his training that his course in life was changed forever. An Alliance expedition, lost in the Barrens, came across Camp Taurajo while Thorbear was on guard duty. Unable to communicate, and confused by the unfamiliar Tauren, a skirmish broke out. Eager to protect his people, Thorbear charged into the enemy formation, only to be easily blocked and resoundingly thrashed by a human paladin. As he was knocked unconcious, he saw his fellows being cut down. He recovered swiftly, but the Alliance attackers had already fled without casualties. Taurajo's defenders had only lost a couple of men, but to Thorbear it was more than enough. Enraged by what he saw as an unprovoked attack on his people, he drove for a counterattack on Alliance territory. His superiors refused. Thorbear struck out on his own, searching the Barrens and later Orgrimarr for like-minded people. He joined a hastily-assembled raid on the Kingdom of Stormwind, travelling to Stranglethorn Vale and heading north to strike on the outlying farmlands of Westfall. The sudden attack was countered by a force of Alliance guards and heroes, and turned into a running retreat over several days that left the Horde force broken and scattered throughout Stranglethorn. From then on, Thorbear continued his travels in Azeroth, fighting for the Horde and attacking Alliance adventurers and outposts whenever possible. His attitude only worsened when he travelled to Outland. Upon reaching Shattrath, he was galled to find a neutral ground where Horde and Alliance were expected to work and live side-by-side. Despite his superiors orders, he continued to harass Alliance adventurers both inside and outside the city. However, it soon became apparent that he was no longer welcome by the Sha'tar. Thorbear retreated to the outlying Horde outpost of Stonebreaker hold, cursing the Alliance all the way. category:Horde category:Characters category:Tauren category:Warrior category:Articles by Zogster